Page 100 of The Heir
Isobel freezes, and her fingers tighten against mine for the briefest second before she catches herself and relaxes. "I've thought about it before," she says, in a strained tone, but she doesn't elaborate.
My chest tightens as we pull up to the curb and idle. As the rain pounds down on the car, I patiently wait for her to reciprocate my question. She doesn't, causing my mood to sour further than what it already is. Honestly, I don't exercise this kind of restraint with anybody -ever- and I consider going ahead and bringing up how upset this makes me, but all too soon Dennis is opening the door, and we're out in the rain with me holding my jacket over her hair again.
We enter the restaurant in silence.
Running a hand through my now damp hair, I instruct Gustavo to find a seat at the bar and let us have some normal time with Isobel's friends.
To be honest, I don't want to be doing this.
I want her home, where I can spread her out and finish what we started in her office.
But I gleaned this would make her happy, and I need her happy. Because it might soften her up enough for her to give me whatIneed. Irritated with the almost manic need to possess this woman, I beat back my feelings of discontent and put my hand in hers, giving hera smile that I don't feel when she peeks up at me from beneath her lashes.
I'm restless. And I'm not a nice man when I'm restless.
We're led to the back room where her friends have been sat in a private area. "I hope you don't mind," Isobel whispers to me. "I used your name thinking you'd like the privacy. I saw when we were at the restaurant when I was out with Anna that you were in a private room, and I figured you didn't want to dine out in the open."
I clear my throat."Ourname," I correct her as she waves her hand at her friends, giving them a bright smile. "Hey," I snap, stopping her from advancing just inside the doorway. "Look at me, please."
Isobel turns surprised eyes on me before they flit to my hand on her elbow where I grip her tightly because I feel desperate.
I have no clue what's going on with me, but I've felt off center all day. I don't know if it's me crashing from my power trip with her ex, the blow job in her office which I honestly feel like might have changed my life, or the fact that she seems like vapor, ready to disappear into thin air at the merest whisper of wind.
Never having been mine.
"King, what is it?" she asks, her hazel eyes flickering back and forth between mine.
Raising a hand to her jaw I caress her gently, taking a second to gaze into her eyes. Not caring about the dozens of people in the room to the side of us, or her friends waiting.
No, my soul is currently calling out for her.
Can't she hear it?
Isobel places her hand on my cheek and stands up on her tiptoes, giving me a brief, sweet kiss that does nothing to calm me. Instead, it ramps up this desperation inside of me that needs to possess her in all her entirety. Her mouth wasn't enough.
"You okay?"
I clear my throat as my hand falls away from her face. "Yes. I just needed that connection for a moment."
Isobel throws me a shy smile, making me warm all over, before pulling me into the room, and I hear myself making pleasantries with her friends almost like I'm talking to them through a tunnel. I feel separated from them, like I'm watching the interaction from above.
I shake hands with them: Tiffany and Jeremiah, Brittany and Alex. I sit back. Make pleasantries. Ask about their jobs, enquire about Tiffany's children.
Nod sympathetically when we're told that Brittany's latest round of IVF failed.
"Hey, is that awedding ringyou're wearing?" Brittany asks, leaning in and narrowing her eyes at my band, before looking over at Isobel's hand curiously. As do I. And it's just now I notice hers is missing.
My eyes narrow.
"Where the hell is your ring?"Leaning into her ear, I speak quietly, feeling her stiffen.
"I didn't know how to tell them, King," she whispers back. "What am I supposed to tell them?"
"I don't give two shits what they think, put it on.Now."
"What do I tell them when they ask me?"She looks at me nervously, her hazel eyes dilating.
"Nothing. Be silent about it if it matters that much to you," I grit out angrily, feeling my temper rise to the surface. Isobel's eyes go wide before she averts her face and pulls her purse to her, digging around until she finds it and slips it on. My chest loosens instantly.
